It's Christmas!

Telekia speciosa seedheads in the railway garden

I managed to get into the nursery on the Monday before Christmas. That was the quickest snow melt ever........ -6C to 12C in less than 12 hours. Still some way for our water supply to melt so I can see if its been affected by the big freeze. Other than that things are looking hopeful with the plants, better than I thought, fingers crossed. The seed heads in the railway garden were looking great, even in the rain.

It was good to get the stock take queries sorted out today, a tick off the to do list and I started sorting out all the bags of seeds we've collected over the summer and autumn. Progress at last!

Sadly we have lost one of goldfish in the herb garden pond. Not sure what the cause was, maybe the cold, but the other two were swimming around ok. I'm not sure how long goldfish live, these guys are nearly 7. So RIP Vortigan, long may you swim in the big pond.

Today............. simply some snowdrops

Another task done plus a dozen mincemeat muffins and an apple and mincemeat crumble

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Here are some winter interest plants in the nursery gardens when I was in last Monday. Colour and interest in the garden doesn't have to be all about the flowers, there is some amazing foliage out there, especially the evergreens

Bergenia 'Silberlicht'

Carex 'Ice Dance'

Cyclamen hederifolium

Polypodium x mantoniae 'Bifidograndiceps'

Tellima grandiflora Rubra Group

Viburnum davidii

Echinacea purpurea 'Brilliant Star' seed heads

Wednesday and all the christmas shopping is done including all the food let the festive cooking begin.

Quercus get together for 6

Christmas eve for 6

Christmas Dinner for 7

friends and family

While we were sitting at some traffic lights on Wednesday morning, I spotted this. Some one has built a teeny door in their garden wall with lock and wee handle........... and they've hung a wee wreath on for christmas I want one.

This years christmas cake - a woodland scene

David, Maisie, Poppy cat and I would like to wish you the very best Christmas and hope you can spend precious time with loved ones.

Its been another busy year for Quercus and at home and we appreciate very much all the love and support from everyone.

Take care, stay well and merry Christmas to one and all xx

See you next year

Christmas eve walk to Neidpath Castle and then back through the tunnel, trivial pursuits and a buffet dinner with fat batard bread and rola mor sausage rolls, home baking and a lot of drink for some . Sadly Granny couldnt join us on Christmas eve as usual, she's not well and was much missed, we still managed to have a lovely lovely day with family

First Christmas in our new home and with all the kids again more trivial pursuits, an exhausted Maisie, lots of food and the best Christmas day

Boxing day - a wet snowy day, a pile of books for christmas, that will keep me busy, left over sandwiches. movies and keeping cosy before all the kids went home and some new art for our walls. I love my Ron Lawson, a compete surprise Had the best christmas thanks to my fab family

You know that thing when you have a great idea and you can see it in your head as the finished item............ and then it doesn't go according to plan

It was part of David's Christmas present, and then I thought what the hell, its funny, if everyone laughs, then it was worth it. Its a caricature.

So here it is....... Maisie and Bracken painted by me

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